During the period of the fur trade, a principal Métis food source was the buffalo, around whom much of the traditional Métis lifestyle revolved. The consumption of buffalo was supplemented by other wild game and plants. Commonly consumed game included moose, elk, deer, rabbits, upland game, ducks, and geese. Where available, fish were common in the diet. Wild berries and other plants were also enjoyed.

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Li Gallette - Bannock

3 cups flour

1 tsp salt

1 tbsp sugar

2 tbsp baking powder

1/2-cup lard

1 1/2 cups cold water

Mix

Knead 5 to 8 minutes

Roll 1/2 thick

Bake at 375° F until done

Meatballs (Boullettes)

2 lbs lean hamburger

2 medium onions

diced salt

pepper

2 tbsp flour

Mix hamburger, onions and flour

Season to taste with salt and pepper

Make into meatballs about 2 inches in diameter

Place in pot of boiling water for about 1 hour.

Barley Soup

Simmer soup bones, boiling beef or chunks of wild meat in water, with onions, a bit of salt and pepper until meat is tender and broth is good. Add barley, small chunks of carrot and potatoes and continue to simmer for at least another hour, eat and enjoy!

Classic Métis Soup

Sauté ground or chunks of meat with diced onions, celery, carrots and potatoes, when cooked, add water, a bit of macaroni, a can of tomatoes, a bit of salt and pepper and simmer for another half an hour. It’s very good with bannock.

Soupe au Pois – Pea Soup

Simmer ham bone or chunks of ham in water with finely diced onions, split green or yellow peas until everything is tender. Add diced carrot for colour and simmer for another half hour, salt and pepper to taste.

Soupe au Bean – Bean Soup

Soak white beans overnight, drain and add fresh water, a bit of salt pork, or ham bone, onion and simmer for a few hours, very basic, very good!

Wild Rice and Prairie Chicken (Partridge)

1 cup cooked wild rice

1/2 cup margarine

breast of one partridge

1/4 cup onion minced

1/4 cup chopped celery

1 can chopped mushrooms

season with salt, pepper and season salt.

Fry onions, celery and mushrooms in margarine until lightly browned. Add all ingredients. Cook about 10 minutes (you can add soy sauce if you wish). Stuff partridge with wild rice mixture and wrap partridge in tin foil. Roast until done.

Boulette Soup

Get a pot and peel and cube about 3 inches worth of potatoes into the pot. Chop some onions and put in with the potatoes as you like. Sprinkle some salt over it and cover the mixture with water. Take some lean ground beef and put it in a bowl and sprinkle in salt and pepper to your liking. If you like garlic, add about 2 tsp of crushed garlic. Make little boulettes (meatballs) about the size of a spoon. Add your boulettes (meatballs) to the pot and cover until it starts boiling. Lower the temperature and let simmer stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are done and the boulettes (meatballs) are cooked thoroughly and you do not see any pink in the middle of the boulettes (meatballs). You will then add milk and pepper to make a nice base for the soup. To thicken the soup you will mix 4 t.b.s.p of flour with a ¼ cup of water. Stir the paste into the soup and let it simmer for an additional 5 minutes. Serve with bannock.

Saskatoon Jelly

3 cups of berry juice, ½ cup of lemon juice, 7 ½ cups of sugar, 1 bottle of liquid pectin (certo). Clean and prepare berries. Place about 4 lb. in kettle and crush. Heat gently until juice starts to flow and then simmer covered for 15 minutes. Place in jelly cloth and squeeze out juice. Squeeze and strain juice from 4 lemons and put aside. To make jelly - measure sugar and juice into a large saucepan and mix. Add lemon juice and combine well. Bring to a boil over high heat and all at once, add pectin, stirring constantly, then bring to a full rolling boil and boil hard for 1 minute. Remove from heat. Skim and pour quickly into sterilized jars and seal.

Tourtiere (meat pie)

Pastry: 5 cups of flour, 2 teaspoons of salt, 4 teaspoons of baking powder, 1 lb of lard, 1 cup of hot water, 4 teaspoons of vinegar, 1 well-beaten egg. Measure flour, salt and baking powder into large bowl. Stir together to distribute all ingredients. Add lard. Cut into pieces with knife. With pastry cutter, cut in lard until whole mixture is crumbly. Mix hot water, vinegar and well-beaten egg together. Pour slowly over flour mixture stirring with fork to distribute. With your hands, work until it holds nicely together. Filling: 5 lbs of ground pork, 2 lbs of lean ground beef, 6 medium onions, salt and pepper to taste, and 3 garlic cloves Place all ingredients into extra large saucepan. Add water to cover about 3/4 of the meat mixture. Bring to a boil and simmer for approximately 30 minutes. Stir occasionally. Cool slightly. Line pie with pastry. Fill with meat mixture. Dampen outer edge with water. Cover with pastry (make slits in top crust). Press edges to seal. Bake in 350 F oven until golden brown. These freeze well and may be left in the freezer for 4-5 months. This recipe makes approximately 7 pies.

Note: Do not gather berries until after the first frost and preserve the same day as picked. Boil 4 cups of berries with 2 1/2 cups of water until the berries are tender. Force through a sieve to remove seeds. Add 1 cup of sugar to 2 cups of pulp. Mix thoroughly and bring to simmer slowly. Cook for 10 mins. Bottle. A layer of sugar spinkled on the top helps to improve the flavour.

Flax Seed Tea Home Remedy (try at your own risk)

Make a tea that sooths a bad cough. Put 2 tbsp. of whole flax seed into a teapot and add a slice of lemon and a pint of boiling water. Steep, strain and sweeten with honey.

Mix cornstarch, sugar and salt with 1/2 cold milk. Scald remaining milk in a double boiler. Add cornstarch mixture gradually to scalded milk, stirring constantly. Cook until thickened and smooth. Cover and cook 25 mins. Stirring occasionally. Cool and add vanilla. Serve hot or cold. If you would like you can use brown sugar to make it taste like caramel or you can use coco to make chocolate pudding.

Wild Rice and Cheese Casserole

1 cup of Wild Rice 3 cups of water 1/2 cup chopped onion 1 cup of grated cheese 1/4 teaspoon of salt 3 cups of sliced mushrooms 3 tablespoons of butter 1 can (19oz) stewed tomatoes Wash the rice under cold water. Put the rice into 3 cups of water and parboil for 5 minutes. Let soak in the same water for one hour. Cook rice in boiling water for an additional 20 minutes. Drain rice if necessary. Sauté onion and mushrooms for about 5 minutes. Toss all ingredients in a 2 quart casserole and bake at 350 for 1 hour.

Cut the meat into long strips and hang in the sun to dry for several days. When completely dry, pound each strip until broken into flakes then mix together the flakes and dried berries. The meat, berries and melted fat can be mixed into a bowl. When the fat has cooled the ingredients can be rolled into large balls and stored into plastic bags. Pemmican can be eaten as is, cooked like hamburger, or boiled with flour and water to make soup.

Roasted Muskrat

Remove the ribs, head and white gland (sacs) from around the back legs. Boil water and place the muskrat in the boiling water until they are cooked. Remove the muskrat and heat a frying pan with lard. Place the muskrat in the frying pan and add salt and pepper for taste.